Sour Apple and Valentines
by Mouse9
Summary: There's a basket on Helga's desk. And nobody seems to know who it's from.


"Who did this?"

Helga Pataki looked at her desk in English Literature in confusion. Sitting on the desktop was a red basket full of pink pens and sour apple suckers. Standing beside her, Nadine eyes the basket with interest.

"Did you read the card?"

"I'm not sure it's even for me!" Helga exclaimed, terrified to even go near the basket. "Maybe someone left it from the last class?"

"Well if they did, that was intolerably rude." With an exasperated sigh, Nadine walked to the desk and tugged at the card taped to the basket. She held it out so Helga could read the typed name on the card.

"Unless we have another Helga in this school, which I think the chances are slim to none, I think this is for you Pataki."

"Somebody got you a Valentine's Day present?" Sheena asked, stepping into the classroom and eyeing the basket with delight. "Helga, that's so sweet! Who's it from?"

Nadine shrugged, eyeing Helga as she waved the card. "Do you want to open it or shall I?"

"Who would get me something? I'm not dating anyone, hell, I don't even like anyone."

"Well, somebody likes you," She opened the envelope with a flourish and read the card. Her lip quirked upwards in amusement as Sheens crept closer to the two and took her seat next to Helga's desk.

"Well, who is it?"

Nadine showed the inside of the card to Helga and Sheena. "Secret admirer."

"That's so romantic!"

Helga finally snapped out of her daze and stomped to her seat, gingerly snatching the card from an amused Nadine's hands. She scanned the card as she flopped down in her desk.

"What the hell?"

She stared at the basket in trepidation. There was a bunch of six sparkly pink pens, one pink journal and a dozen sour apple suckers—her favorite. Further digging into the basket also revealed one large pack of her favorite gum. She looked at the two girls who were seated at their desks on either side of her watching the proceedings with amusement and glee.

"You guys want a sucker?"

Nadine wrinkled her nose. "Sorry, sour apple is not my thing."

"Thank you but I'm trying to stay away from processed sugar this year." Sheena smiled at the basket wistfully. "But whoever did this was terribly sweet."

Helga pulled out a sucker, unwrapped it and stuck it in her mouth. "More for me."

* * *

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

Phoebe stood beside Helga's locker as the taller teen rummaged for her books. She waved the sucker around as she spoke. Like Helga, Phoebe also liked Sour Apple suckers. Not as much as Helga, but sometimes she needed the sour candy.

"Not a clue. Damn, my pen ran out."

Phoebe grinned. "Well luckily for you, you have six new ones."

"Yeah, lucky me. You think it's Brainy?"

Nah, he's happily dating Gloria for the last two years. That's be kind of a crap move to give me a secret Valentine's gift. "

"Good point." Phoebe wrinkled her nose. "Curly?"

"I love Curly but honestly if he was going to get me a gift, it would've been yesterday for Galentine's Day and it would've have come in the form of hot wings and a six pack of root beer."

"You make a very good point." Curly and Helga has been on a yearlong search of the hottest wings in the state. It had become such a big deal that there were bets being placed on different establishments in a fifty-mile area. Helga closed her locker and fixed Phoebe with a hard stare.

"Are you sure it wasn't you?"

Phoebe gave her a look. "Um, we exchanged presents yesterday? And no, I wouldn't get you a present like that."

"You're the only one who knows my weakness for sour apple suckers, Phoebs."

"Which is why this entire mystery is perplexing me." Phoebe insisted. "Because I didn't get you a Valentine's basket." She raised an eyebrow. "It seems, the game is afoot."

Helga snorted. "Come along Watson, we have to get to Trig."

* * *

Arnold was backstage in the auditorium, putting the finishing coat on one of the props for the next week's spring musical. He had five props left to paint and six days in which to do it so he'd been given permission to work on them during the last hour free period. He had his earbuds in and therefore didn't know about the person sneaking up behind him until they put their hand on his shoulder and spun him around. He dropped the paintbrush startled, opened his mouth to speak and suddenly found a very warm pair of lips on his. Smiling against those lips, he wrapped his arms around their waist and kissed back. He tasted sour apple.

"Mmmm…" he hummed as the kiss broke. He licked his lips and opened his eyes to smile at Helga. "I see you found the basket."

"You know how much fancy footwork I had to do today, football head?" she huffed. "Nadine saw it first, and then Sheena had to put her two cents in. Thank God you didn't actually sign the card because I was in too much shock to do much more than stare at the basket. But thank you, I loved it."

"My pleasure. Did Phoebe figure it out?"

"Nope, but she did steal one of my suckers."

"Hmmm," he dropped another kiss on her lips. "I might have a couple more at my house you can stock up on."

"Or that gives me an incentive to come over to your house."

Arnold smiled against her lips. "Like you need an incentive."

"True."

Helga wrapped her arms around Arnold and dropped a kiss on his nose. "Aren't you going to ask what I got you?"

"Nope. Doesn't matter. You're enough."

Her expression softened and she dove in for one more kiss, this time leaving them both a little more than breathless when they separated.

"You are sweet and I adore you. But I got something I think you're going to like."

"Okay. Since you're so insistent, when do I get it?"

"One moment." Pulling out her phone, she sent a text. Less than a moment later, the school's PA system squeaked on and the voice of Curly Gumblethorpe came over the system.

"Good afternoons students of Hillwood High School. This is a special Valentine's Day announcement. In the interest of everyone is has been officially released that Helga G. Pataki and Arnold P. Shortman are officially an item. Anyone who had placed bets on this particular couple, please collect your winnings from the usual spot after school is over. This has been your Valentine's Day update."

Arnold listened to the announcement with widened eyes. Those same eyes turned to Helga in excitement.

"Did you just out us to the entire school?"

"Yep. You've kept this secret for these past months while I dealt with my issues of being in a relationship and haven't complained once. I figured it's more than high time I finally acknowledge that I am stupid in love with you."

Laughing, he caught her up in a hug, dropping kisses all over her face.

"You know Phoebe is going to kill you, right?"

"I am more than willing to accept the punishment."

He gave her one last quick kiss as they heard students buzzing with the latest gossip in the hallway. "I love you so much. This was the best present ever."

She grinned, taking his hand. "Let's go show the world then."

* * *

 **AN:** I think my bunnies love holiday fics most of all because this was not the story I've been thinking of writing all day. I put my fingers to keyboard and this came out. My gift to my readers. I love you all. And Arnold's Love, this is **NOT** the fic (and the mention) I'm writing you. Yours is coming. :)


End file.
